Excused Absences

HoCo schools super Sidney Cousins is proposing that students be allowed to leave class once a week to fulfill religious obligations. According to a story in the Flier, school officials have no idea how many kids would take advantage of such a policy. But they have studied the matter and have concluded that it would not have much affect on grades.

"Officials began reviewing the system's policy on religious observances in April 2006, at the same time they weighed a request from county Muslims to allow Muslin students to leave school early on Friday afternoons to attend required prayer, or Jummah, at a mosque," the story says.

The offer would be open to students of any faith who have a "documented religious obligations."

We guess that means attending services for the Church of the Lakefront Party-Hardy don't count.